Repair link



l Mwah 3E P. MCLOUGHUN REPAIR LI NK Filed Dec. l2, 1928 Patented Mar. 3l, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE j i PATRICK MCLOUGHLIN, `or WoncEsTnn, `MASSACHUSETTS l* j i.

REPAIR LTNK Application inea December 12, 192e. seriai No. 325,579. 'f

This invention relates to a repair link for use on anti-skid tire chains.

The object of the invention is toprovide a simple and convenient repair link `of Such a nature that its free end willyield to allow a chain link to pass intoV itand will then spring together suiiiciently to prevent .reinoval accidentally or without the application of force in a certain direction and to l@ provide a construction in which the `weight of the car and tire will not be depended upon to close the link and in fact the link does not have to be closed at all.

Other objects and advantages of the 1n- 35 vention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is tobe had to the accompany ing drawings in which ,l

Fig. 1 is a plan oit one form in whichthls repair link can he constructed;

Fig. 2 is a. side view of the same;

Fig. 3 is an end View; i

Fig. l is a plan of a modified form of the link; and

Fig. 5 is an end view thereof.

In the form shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the link consists of a single piece of wire, preferably round in cross section. The whole linkis made as near as possible in a single plane. The link comprises a straight side adapted to lie flat against the tire or flat on the ground. This is pro-vided with a coil 11 at the end to I rovide the amount of resiliency that may e required and then the coil is curved into a side 12 parallel with the free side 10 and in the same plane except insofar as it has to be lifted a little at the rear to form a continuation of said coil.

At the free end of the side 12 is a transverse end 13 which is curved inwardly to form a bend or hook 14 inside at the end. This bend also lies substantially in the plane of the rest of the link. The convex surface 15 of this bend is located at Such distance from the free side 1() that the wire of a link of a cross chain will not pass between them either inwardly or outwardly without the application of enough force thereon to swing these two ends 10 and 15 apart. When the cross chain'link, suoli as 16, is forced in hy the application of enough pressure, these dii two ends spring back toward eachjl other again and thus automatically hold it in its original position. Usually the wire `of the cross chain link is of the same diameter as that ofthe repairlink.

In the use of the device the link 16 which is inserted in'` this way might be pulled out at the end by a strongpull but suchV an accident is not likely to'happen; However,` the bending inwardly of the end`14provides a hook and thev link 16 normally passes over the end of this hookand is engaged rbehind the transverse end 13 and behind the` hook 14 so that it does not depend upon the resiliency of the wire to holdfit in position.

l`levertheless when it is desired to remove the link 16 `it can be placed in the space between the Side 10 and surface 15` and pulled outwardly, `flexing the Side 10 for that purpose and no other force has to be applied When the link `is""r`ernoved lthe parts springback i to -theiroriginal position and are in propercondition for use again. j j In this way itwillbe seen that therefare no parts projecting outwardly that arelikely to dig into the tire or wheel noVmatter which side" up the `repair linkis placed, that there are no parts in intersectingplanes5`thus providing projections sticking out and `apt to cause damage/and that the twol sides 10 and 12 are substantially parallel with each other. y The same idea can be carriedout in other ways and in Fig. 4i I have `shown alnkhav- 'ing the parts 10, 13514;,"15`and 16 similar to thosedescrihed above. In thiscase two changes are" made. In thefirst place no coil is provided, thenatural resiliency oi the wire `being relied uponfas sufficient. .'Furtherm'ore, the end14 `sticks up `above the `plane of the rest ofthe link but gonlyto such an extent as to provide `a passage between the surface 15 and the end 10 of just the right sizeand to providethis in a substantially vertical plane `instead of ahorizontal plane as shown `in Fig. 1. "This link" is less expensive to makethan "the one shown in Fig; 1 but has less resiliency and itsticks up out of the plane `of theflink `somewhat and might tend to wear thetirea little. The

Elfil convex surface 15 is the one that would engage the tire instead of the square end of the link itself, so not much trouble is likely to come from this construction. Furthermore, it is bent out of the plane only a distance equal to twice the diameter of the wire of which the link is made and in fact slightly less than that. The wire preferably is made of a quality which has considerable resiliency and otherwise thegbend 14 would be forced down on the side 10 vby continued usage and it would be very difficult to get the chain link out of it or to use it again.

In all these forms the link is made of spring wire, although a comparatively ineXpens-ive grade of suchV wire can be used. The link is sold at retail in a. closed condition, that is, with the ends near enough together so that a chain link can be put on it or taken off with the application of enough pressure to force the endswide apart. They spring back together after the chain is applied and aft-er long use the link is intended to have the same shape as when sold. The shape is not changed by the passage of the car over it. Nevertheless if such a change takes Vplace it does not aifectin any way the holding qualities of the link for the cross chain on which it is applied butwould only affect its utility incase it was desired to remove it or use it over' again but these links are so cheap they seldom are used a second time. f

-Although I have illustratedl and described only two forms of the invention I am aware of the fact that other modiiicationscan be made therein by any person skilledV inV the art without departing' from the-scopeof-the invention as expressed in the claims.

Therefore, I do not wish to, be limited in this respect but what I do claim is l. As an article of manufacturega lcross chain repair link comprising a lfree side and a sideintegrally connected with it and arranged opposite and substantially parallel with it and-substantially in the same plane,- a transverse Vend extending from vsaid lopposite side to the vicinity of the first named', side,

endjand side extending in the same direction as thefree side and beinga little less in width than the diameter of a chain link to be attached, said repair link being formed of spring wire, wherebythe chain link cani be end of the link, said parts being substantially in one plane and being formed of a single piece of spring wire, the distance between the adjacent surfaces of the convex side of said bend and straight side being slightly less than the diameter of the wire of the chain link to be connected the space between the bend and straight side opening at the end of the link in alignment with said straight side for the purpose described.

3. As an article of manufacture, a repair link comprising a side of spring wire having an integral coil at the end opposite its free end, said coil terminating in a side having at its opposite end an integral end member extending-toward the extreme free end of the opposite side,'the space between the nearest surface of said end and the first named side being'less than the lthickness of the wire. of which it is formed.

V4:. As an article of manufacture, aV repair link comprising a straight side ofv s ring wire having an integral coil at the en opposite its free end., said coil terminating in a side parallel with said side, the opposite side having at its. end an integral transverse: part bent reversely inwardly to forni a hook, the space between the convex. surface of said hook and the first named side being less thany the thickness of the wireI of which it s formed, whereby a chain link formed of wire of the same gauge can be attached: or removed by forcing it into` the space enough to flex. the ends ofthe link apart temporarily.

In testimonywher'eof I have hereunto affixed my signature.

PATRICK' MCLOUGHLJN.

'but spaced therefrom, the space between said applied to it.v and removed from it by forcing it through the space between the end. and

side and the link will return to normal condition thereafter. v Y,

2. AAs anarticle of manufacture, a repair link for cross chains comprising a straight side, 'an opposite side integrally connected therewith, atransverse end extending from said oppositeside nearly but not quite to the first named side at Ythe end thereof, terminating in a bend inwardly extending' from'` the llO 

